MAY 2022
Visiting the bluebells in the Hallerbos near Brussels has been on my to do list for quite some time, but COVID kept on getting in the way. Luckily, in 2022 there were no travel restrictions and I was able to finally visit this bluebell heaven! The Hallerbos is the perfect destination for a day trip and in this blogpost I will tell you all about how to visit the Hallerbos and what to expect.
Practical information
Once a year a natural phenomenon occurs in the Hallerbos as the whole ground turns into a purple carpet of bluebells. The Hallerbos is easiest to reach by car and you will find several parking areas surrounding the forest. We parked in P1, which was at the start of one of the two hiking routes that are specifically designed to show you as much bluebells as possible. Make sure to wear proper shoes for your hike. We bought Hugo’s travel stroller, which was a stupid idea as the paths were way too rocky for a small troller. Definitely bring one with big wheels! Both hiking routes are about 5 kilometers long and they go up and down, providing a little workout. The bluebells usually are in bloom halfway April, the official website of the Hallerbos is very clear in when to expect peak bloom. We visited at the end of the bluebell season, namely on 27 April and were still very impressed with the amount and colors of the bluebells. I heard the Hallerbos gets extremely crowded during the weekend, but it wasn’t busy at all when we visited on a weekday. Entrance to the forest and parking are both free. The bluebells are protected and you should not step on them, as they will die once you step on them. The big purple carpets are surrounded by ropes and you should stay behind the ropes. There are some toilets in the park, but there is no restaurant or foodstall where you can buy food or drinks. Make sure to bring your own, you will find several picknick tables in scenic locations.
Pictures of our visit
We loved our visit to the Hallerbos. I had been to the Dutch version of the Hallerbos, in Park Ockenburgh in the Hague, which I loved as well. In contrary to the Dutch bluebells, the bluebells in the Hallerbos are actively protected by ropes and because of that they are more abundant. Please don’t step on the bluebells or cross the ropes, because you will end up killing the bluebells. We visited on a sunny day, which created the sun to peep through the leaves, creating such a lovely and mysterious light. Absolutely perfect!
